@MizzouWrestling Heads to St. Louis for NCAA Wrestling Championships

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
TOURNAMENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME	MEDIA
NCAA Championships (Tournament Notes)	St. Louis, Mo.	Thursday, March 16 - Saturday, March 18	Session 1: Thursday - 11 a.m. (CT) Session 2: Thursday - 6 p.m. (CT) Session 3: Friday - 10 a.m. (CT) Session 4: Friday - 7 p.m. (CT) Session 5: Saturday - 10 a.m. (CT) Session 6 - 7 p.m. (CT)	Brackets WATCH (Day 1) WATCH (Day 2) WATCH (Day 3) Live Results

#TigerStyle Returns to St. Louis for the NCAA Championships

Mizzou Wrestling seeks its third straight NCAA top-10 finish and fourth in the last five years at the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 16-18, in St. Louis, Mo. It will mark the eighth time the NCAA Wrestling Championships have come to the Scottrade Center, with the last time occurring in 2015 where the Tigers earned their second team title in program history by finishing fourth.
Mizzou won its sixth consecutive conference title on March 5 at the 2017 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships, recording a conference record 154.5 team points while crowning a program record six individual conference champions.
The Tigers finished the dual season with a record of 11-4, marking the seventh straight season Mizzou has recorded at least 10 dual wins. Mizzou has had a .500 or better record in dual competition for 16 consecutive seasons dating back to the 2001-02 season.
All season, #TigerStyle has been led by its top-four wrestlers, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis and redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee, who all rank in the top-five of the individual rankings. The four wrestlers are a combined 91-6 this season and 49-2 in dual competition.
Cox, the defending national champion at 197 pounds, looks to become the first ever three-time national champion in program history. This season, he is 23-0, recording bonus point victories in 17 of 23 wins, including six technical falls, five major decisions and five falls. He is also seeking to become the second four-time All-American in program history.
Lewis, 24-3 on the season, seeks his second All-America honor after winning his second consecutive MAC title at 165 pounds. The Tiger sophomore leads the team in falls (9), dual wins (13) and dual points (56).
Mayes and Lavallee are both coming off their first MAC titles and enter with a record of 19-2 and 25-1, respectively.

#ShowMe 6

For the sixth straight season, Mizzou will enter the NCAA Wrestling Championships as conference champions, winning the Big 12 Tournament title in 2012, its last season as a member for the Big 12 Conference before winning five straight MAC Tournament titles from 2013-17.
The Tigers captured their fifth straight MAC title on March 5 in record-breaking fashion, posting a conference record 154.5 points while crowning a program record six conference champions.
Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox became the second four-time conference champion in program history with his title at 197 pounds. With two falls and a 8-2 decision over nationally-ranked Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) in the finals, Cox was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler for a third time (2014, 2016).
Joining Cox on top of the podium was redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis, who won his second consecutive MAC title, while redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste, redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman, redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes and redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee all won a conference title for the first time in their careers.
In 2016, five Tigers won individual conference titles to vault Mizzou to its fourth straight MAC title as the Tigers scored 127.5 points, outscoring second place Central Michigan by 34 points. Winning conference championships for Mizzou was redshirt junior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis and senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, as well as #TigerStyle alum Le'Roy Barnes and Blaise Butler.

Cox Becomes the Second Four-Time Conference Champion in Program History

With his win in the MAC Finals on March 5, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox became the second wrestler in program history to win four conference titles, following in the footsteps of 2015 National Champion Drake Houdashelt, who won a Big 12 conference title in 2012 and three MAC conference titles from 2013-15.
Cox has obliterated his competition at the MAC Tournament over his career, earning the distinction of Most Outstanding Wrestler following titles in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In the four tournaments, Cox amassed a record of 12-0, recording bonus points in nine victories (four falls, four major decisions, one technical fall).
With the four-peat, Cox became the seventh wrestler in MAC history to win four conference titles.
Following his performance at the MAC Championships, Cox was named the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week on March 9.

Program Record Six Conference Champions

A program record six wrestlers won conference titles at the MAC Championships. Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox and redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis repeated as conference champions, Cox for the fourth straight year, while redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste, redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman, redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes and redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee all won a conference title for the first time in their careers.
The 2017 Tigers outdid the previous two squads by one champion, as the Tigers crowned five conference champions in 2015 and 2016.
CHASING HISTORY
The argument of who is the greatest wrestler in program history, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox or Ben Askren, will forever be up for debate. In St. Louis, Cox will have one more chance to lay his claim to the heir of the throne.
The two wrestlers are the only grapplers in program history to win two national titles. Askren finished the 2006 and 2007 seasons at the top of the podium at 174 pounds, winning the Dan Hodge Trophy (wrestling's Heisman) after both seasons. Cox won a title as a true freshman at 197 pounds in 2014, and return to the top of the podium in 2016. With another NCAA title, Cox would become not only the first three-time NCAA Champ in program history, but the first three-time NCAA Champ in Mizzou Athletics history.
In the entire history of Mizzou Athletics, only five student-athletes have ever won multiple NCAA titles as Cox and Askren are joined by Mizzou Track & Field's Dick Cochran (1959 and 1960 Outdoor Discus), Derrick Peterson (1999 Indoor and Outdoor 800m Run) and Karissa Schweizer (2016 Cross Country and 2017 Indoor 5,000m Run).
With another top-eight finish, Cox will join Askren as the only two four-time NCAA All-Ameican in program history.

Cox's Pursuit of a Perfect Season

Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, Mizzou's only remaining undefeated wrestler in 2016-17, seeks to become the second-ever wrestler to finish a season with an unblemished record, following Ben Askren. Askren did so twice, in 2005-06 and 2006-07, capturing the National title at 174 pounds and the Dan Hodge Trophy following both seasons.
Cox is 23-0 on the season and 12-0 in dual competition, registering bonus point victories in 17 of 23 victories. Among team leaders, Cox ranks first among attached wrestlers in technical falls with six, second in dual wins with 12 and second in dual points with 50.
Cox has certainly been challenged this season, facing 10 ranked opponents, including five ranked in the top-10. Cox has overcome each challenge so far this season, outscoring ranked opponents, 80-23.
Dating back to last season, Cox has now won 43 straight matches, recording bonus points in 31 of those victories.

Cox's Ascension Up the Record Book

Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox's outstanding Tiger career will come to an end following the 2016-17 season, but not before he leaves his mark on the Mizzou Wrestling record book.
The two-time National Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist ranks fourth in program history in career wins with 131 and first in winning percentage among wrestlers with over 100 wins at .963 (131-5).
Cox ranks second in career technical falls with 20 and third in career major decisions with 29. The Tiger senior is also nearing the top-10 in career falls with 26. Alan Waters, Mark Cody and Nathan McCormick are all tied for eighth all-time in program history with 27 falls.

Best Tiger Duo Ever?

When it is all said and done, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox and redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes may go down as the greatest duo to ever don the Black & Gold singlet.
Between the two wrestlers, they have amassed two National Championships (Cox in 2014 and 2016) and five All-America honors (Cox in 2014-16, Mayes in 2015-16) while helping the Tigers win four consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournament Championships and finish in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships twice (fourth in 2015, sixth in 2016).
Combined, the two wrestlers have posted 249 wins, which ranks third among Tiger duos, trailing Ben Askren and Matt Pell (2003-07) with 275 wins and Drake Houdashelt and Alan Waters (2010-15) with 270 wins.
The combined winning percentage of 89.9 percent (249-28) between Cox and Mayes is better than any other Tiger pair to wrestle.
Of their 249 wins, Cox and Mayes have recorded bonus points in 118 matches (47.4 percent), recording 33 falls (Cox-26, Mayes-7), 27 technical falls (Cox-20, Mayes-7) and 58 major decisions (Cox-29, Mayes-29).

Lavallee's Re-Emergence

After taking a redshirt last season, redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee has roared back onto the scene in 2016-17, capturing his first conference title en route to a No. 3 seed at this weekend's NCAA Tournament.
Lavallee, 25-1 on the season, has recorded bonus points in 10 of 25 wins, including a team-leading eight major decisions. He finished the dual season with a perfect 12-0 record and finished fifth in dual points with 42.
In tournaments this season, Lavallee has posted a record of 13-1, winning the UNI Open (Dec. 3) and MAC Championships (March 5), while finishing third at the Southern Scuffle (Jan. 2).
Seven ranked wrestlers have felt the wrath of Lavallee so far this season, as the Tiger junior defeated No. 17 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) via major decision, 15-5 on Nov. 20 and No. 19 Jake Ryan by way of a 12-5 decision on Dec. 8 in duals. At the Scuffle, Lavallee defeated No. 7 Jake Short (Minnesota), 2-1, and No. 11 Andrew Atkinson (Virginia), 9-5. Returning to duals, Lavallee defeated No. 7 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 3-1, in a thrilling sudden victory match on Jan. 22 and No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State), 6-1, on Jan. 27. Lavallee and Heffernan squared off in a rematch in the MAC Finals, where once again the two grappers needed overtime to decide a winner. Lavallee got the best of Heffernan once again, as the Tiger wrestler received the winning point at the end of the second tiebreaker overtime due to having more riding time at the conclusion of the period.

No Sophomore Slump for Lewis

Following a freshman campaign which featured a MAC Championship, NCAA All-America finish and MAC Freshman of the Year honors, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis has not shown any signs of slowing down in his second season as an attached wrestler.
The Tiger grappler repeated as MAC Champion for the second straight season following a 7-5 win over No. 8 Bryce Steiert in the MAC Finals. The win avenged a loss Lewis suffered to Steiert in a Feb. 12 dual against Northern Iowa.
Lewis earned the first MAC Wrestler of the Week honor of his career on Jan. 18 following a 3-0 week where he outscored his opponents, 41-0, earning two major decisions and a technical fall. Lewis began thw week with a 12-0 major decision over Austin Weigel (Buffalo) on Jan. 12. Next, Lewis earned a 17-0 technical fall in the first period over Joey Galasso (Cornell) on Jan. 14. Galasso was ranked No. 16 at 149 pounds, but proved to be no challenge to the All-American Lewis. Then, Lewis earned a 12-0 major decision over Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan) on Jan. 15.
The Tiger sophomore avenged his Scuffle finals loss to Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) on Jan. 27, scoring a last second takedown to defeat the fourth-ranked Rogers. The two grapplers were tied, 9-9, with time running out, but Rogers essentially led, 10-9, because he had riding time locked up. With the clock approaching zeros, Lewis got to Rogers' leg and executed the takedown for two points and the victory.
The Tiger sophomore is 24-3 on the season (13-1 in duals) and leads the team in dual points with 56, and falls with nine. In a season and a half as an attached wrestler, Lewis is 25-3 in dual competition, including a 13-1 mark in MAC duals.
Known as a "pin artist", Lewis leads the teams in wins by fall this season, registering nine falls, all in the first period. He has pinned 19 opponents during his two seasons as an attached wrestler after scoring 10 wins by fall in 2015-16. In addition, during his redshirt season (2014-15), Lewis posted falls in 15 of his 21 wins.

Mayes Joins 100-Win Club

Redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes recorded his 100th career victory in Mizzou's season-opening dual against Old Dominion. Mayes defeated Michael Hayes by way of a 9-4 decision to reach the century milestone.
Mayes became the 25th member of Mizzou's exclusive 100-win club and first to reach the mark since senior 197-pounder J'den Cox reached the mark last season in a 16-7 major decision win over Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) on Feb. 21, 2016.
Mayes currently owns a record of 118-23 and is ranked third in program history in career major decisions with 29 and seventh in winning percentage for wrestlers with over 100 wins with a winning percentage of .837 (118-23).
In a breakout sophomore campaign (2014-15), Mayes went 38-4 at 141 pounds, finishing as an All-American with a seventh-place performance at the NCAA Championships. Mayes went 20-1 in dual competion throughout the year (6-1 in MAC duals) and recorded nine major decisions.
Last year, Mayes went 32-3 en route to his second straight year on the podium, this time at 149 pounds. Mayes finished third at the weight class in New York City, defeating Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) in the third place bout after falling to the Cowboy in the quarterfinals.
This season, Mayes is 19-2 on the season, including a 12-1 mark in dual competition and a second place finish at the Southern Scuffle (Jan. 2). Among dual competition, Mayes ranks second on the team in wins (12), fourth in points (43) and third in major decisions (3).
In his final conference tournament, Mayes captured to coveted conference title he was seeking for four seasons. Just like Lewis, Mayes avenged a loss to a Northern Iowa grappler to win the MAC title, defeating Max Thomsen, 6-5.

Erenste Makes Most of His Opportunity

Following redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman's move up a weight class from 133 to 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste helped fill a void in the Tigers' starting lineup at 133 pounds.
Erneste has shined since his promotion, capturing the MAC title at 133 pounds in his MAC Championships debut. After a challenging first round bout, Erneste recorded a fall over No. 24 Anthony Tutolo (Kent State) in the semifinals to advance to the finals. In the finals, Erneste and No. 11 Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) needed overtime to decided a winner, where Erneste rolled through a takedown attempt from Lantry to score his own takedown, followed by back points for the 6-2 victory.
Erneste first competed as Mizzou's starter while at the Southern Scuffle, where he impressed by going 5-2 and finishing fifth at one of the nation's toughest in-season tournaments. Erneste posted two wins by bonus points, including a 9-0 major decision over No. 14 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota) to capture fifth place. The win was Erneste's first career win over a ranked opponent.
For the year, Erneste is 23-6 and ranks second on the team in falls with seven. He begins the NCAA Tournament as the No. 10 seed.

Eierman Thrives After Transitioning to 141 Pounds

After struggling to make weight at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman made the switch to 141 pounds prior to the Southern Scuffle. He has proved to be more comfortable up a weight, as he has posted a record of 17-3 since the move.
In his MAC Championships debut, Eierman won the MAC title at 141 pounds, doing so in impressive fashion with a 10-1 major decision over Ohio's Noah Forrider. The win capped a 3-0 tournament for Eierman where he recorded two major decisions, outscoring his opposition, 34-5.
In his first competition at 141 pounds, Eierman went 7-2 at the Southern Scuffle, placing fifth. The Tiger freshman recorded three technical falls en route to the fifth place finish.
On the season, Eierman is 24-5, finishing the dual season with a record of 10-3. He ranks third on the team in total victories with 24, third in technical falls with four, third in dual points with 47 and first in dual falls with five.

McGhee Returns to the NCAA Tournament

After a highly impressive 2015-16 season that ended one victory away from All-America status, redshirt junior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee's 2016-17 campaign has been more of an up-and-down affair. The Rock Island, Ill. native may be surging at the right time, however, as McGhee has posted a record of 9-4 in the months of February and March.
McGhee went 5-0 to capture first place at the Edinboro Open (Feb.4), and defeated No. 10 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa), 3-1 at the U.S. Collegiate Championships (Feb. 19).
At the MAC Championships, McGhee went 2-2 and finished fifth to earn his second trip to the NCAA Tournament.
This season, McGhee is 19-11 on the season, including a 15-6 mark in tournament competition.

Myers Earns NCAA Qualifying Spot in Debut Campaign

In his first season as an attached wrestler, redshirt freshman heavyweight Austin Myers qualified for a spot at the NCAA Tournament with a third place finish at the MAC Championships.
Myers went 3-1 at the MAC Tournament, defeated top-seeded Zack Parker (Ohio), 3-1 in the third place bout to clinch the trip to the NCAA Championships.
A highly-touted recruit out of Campbell County High School in Alexandria, Ky., Myers transferred to Mizzou prior to the 2016-17 season following a redshirt season at West Virginia.
Myers was the only Tiger wrestler to wrestle in every dual throughout the 2016-17 season, posing a 6-9 record in duals and 15-13 overall. In addition to a third place finish at the MAC Tournament, Myers finished third at the UNI Open (Dec. 3).

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@MizzouWrestling Heads to St. Louis for NCAA Wrestling Championships

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Players Mentioned

Le'Roy Barnes

Blaise Butler

J'den Cox

Jaydin Eierman

John Erneste

Joey Lavallee

Daniel Lewis

Lavion Mayes

Barlow McGhee

Austin Myers

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@MizzouWrestling Heads to St. Louis for NCAA Wrestling Championships

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Le'Roy Barnes

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Daniel Lewis

Lavion Mayes

Barlow McGhee

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